After all, I’m the one who set the wheels in motion when I told Mason about fucking Logan. I was kind of bored and wanted to see the proverbial shit hit the fan.
“Jon’s not dominating shit!” I lashed out at Marcella after her taunting me to come out.
“Jude? Is that you?” she asked, staring in my eyes like there would be something different present in them instead of just looking like Jon’s eyes. There may have been anger in them but that was about it.
I poked her in the chest and snarled at her. “You really think you know every damn thing, don’t you?”
“I know enough.” Marcella sat back on the sofa and appeared to be sizing me up. “So how have you been, Jude? I understand you’ve been a bad girl the last couple of days.”
“I understand you’ve been a bad girl,” I said mockingly.
She grinned and folded her hands on her lap. The bitch was acting too calm, cool, and collected for me.
“Don’t patronize me,” I stated with disdain. “If you’re asking whether or not I showed my ass, you’re damn right I did. Mason needed to get to stepping and get the fuck out our lives.”
“You may feel that way but your plan backfired on you, Jude. Didn’t it?”
I had to admit to myself that Mason’s apparent acceptance of Jon’s situation threw me for a loop. I assumed that his ultimate purpose behind constantly coming on to her was sex, but he was acting like he actually cared. Most men would dump a sister with a quickness if she boned one of his friends. As far as having multiple personalities, most would probably run for the hills.
She sat there, smirking, waiting for a response.
Finally, I replied with much confidence, “It appears it may have but it’s not over until it’s over.”
Marcella reached over and took my hand. “Why are you trying to hurt Jonquinette, Jude?”
“I’m not trying to hurt Jonquinette.” I yanked my hand away from her and stood up. “She’s trying to hurt me and I can’t have that. What Jon should have done was keep her damn mouth shut in the first place. It was okay when she was going to those meetings at the hospital.” I went over to the window and looked out over the parking lot of the complex. Mason’s car was out there. The bastard!
“Hell, they were even somewhat entertaining,” I continued. “I enjoyed listening to those pathetic people talking about how sex had ruined their relationships and sometimes, even their lives. Jon never said anything in the meetings and I was cracking up inside. Then Miss Thang had to go and start yapping off at the mouth. She started this shit, not me. Don’t get it twisted.”
Marcella got up and followed me over to the window, lurking over my shoulder. “Before you did your dirt anonymously. Now you’re doing things to directly affect Jonquinette and the way people look at her.”
“Fuck the way people look at her!” I screamed at her without turning around. “This is my world!”
“Jude, Jonquinette realizes all that you’ve done for her and she’s grateful for your protection all those years.” She placed a hand on my right shoulder. “But now, she has other people who understand her and we’re going to protect her from now on.” She slid her hand down my arm, grabbed my elbow, and swung me around. “She doesn’t need you anymore. Don’t you think it’s time for you to go away?”
“Go away?” I stared her directly in the eyes and said, “You must be out of your fuckin’ mind! I’m not going any damn place! If one of us is going somewhere, it sure as shit isn’t going to be me!”
“Jude, Jonquinette deserves a normal life. If you truly care about her, then you’ll let her move on.”
“Move on?” I chuckled. “So what is to become of me? What is supposed to happen to my life?” I pulled away and walked into the kitchen to find some real food, not those damn cookies Jon had set out on a plate.
Marcella didn’t come all the way into the kitchen. She just stood in the doorway while I searched the cabinets for something decent to munch on. “Jude, I don’t profess to know all the answers and I know this is hard on you, but both of you can’t go on like this.”
I slammed one of the cabinet doors. “Why can’t we both go on like this?” I opened the fridge, sniffed the milk to see if I could at least have a bowl of cereal. It was sour so I poured it down the sink.
“Look at what’s happening,” Marcella said. “Like you just said out there, things are changing. Jonquinette is not going to just sit back and let things be anymore. You’re getting angry, lashing out at people, and she’s becoming a stronger person.”
I closed the refrigerator door, leaned on the counter and put my hands on my hips. “Um, how can I put this.” I tapped my foot. “Jon is not becoming a stronger person because Jon has always been weak as shit. That’s the reason I’m here;to make sure people don’t fuck her over.”
“Do you think I’m trying to fuck her over?” Marcella asked.
“That’s yet to be determined, but I know that I’m not going anywhere. You can just forget that shit.”
Marcella came into the kitchen and took my wrists into her hands. “Listen, will you at least agree to talk to me again, on a regular basis? Maybe we can come to some sort of terms.”
I yanked my wrists away. “What is all this touchy-feely shit? Are you a dyke or something?”
She frowned and replied, “No, I just want you to know that someone does care about you. I care about you, Jude. I care about both you and Jonquinette. You’re not alone and I don’t want you to ever feel like you don’t have someone to talk to. I understand, clearly, that there are two of you and both of you need love.”
I shook my head and snickered. “Whatever, bitch!”
“See, that’s what I mean. Your hostility toward me is just a front. You really crave to be loved. Isn’t that why you have sex with so many men?”
“Oh, so you want to go there, huh?” I asked. “I guess it’s time for the motherfucking gloves to come off.”
She stood there and took a challenging stance. “Fine by me. If I can’t get through to you by talking calmly, then we can get loud. However, that’s not going to solve anything.”
“And me coming into your office, lying on your chair like I’m some sort of fucking diva, and spilling my guts will solve something?” I asked sarcastically.
“It’s a start. Tell me, Jude. Why do you really have sex with so many people? Why do you consider that important?”
“You tell me. You’re the doctor.” I ripped open a bag of chips that was sitting on the counter. I was craving something salty. “Oh, what was it you told Jon? That I use it as a power play?” I laughed.
“You’re too funny. You do realize that everything you say to her, I hear.”
“Yes, I know that you’re always around,” she admitted. “So you know how much your adventures are hurting Jon. She came to me because she thought she was insane. You regard that as protecting her?”
I didn’t like the direction the conversation was going. It was time to end it. “It’s time for you to leave,” I informed her.
“Jude, aren’t you going to answer my question?”
“No, I’m not going to answer your stupid-ass question.” I went out of the kitchen and opened the front door. “Get out!”
“Jude, this isn’t going to improve anything. You’re always ending our chats abruptly.”
“Chats? This isn’t a fucking chat. We’re not two girlfriends catching up on things or lollygagging around. This is a fucking argument and I won’t engage in it any longer. It’s useless. You think that you can convince me to go away? Well, like I said before, that shit is not happening!” I opened the door wider. “Now get the hell out!”
“Would you allow me to talk to Jon again?”
I laughed. “Jon’s not here right now.”
“Can you allow her to come back out?” she asked.
“You are one sick cookie. If you think I’m going let you sit here and fill Jon’s head with more of your bullshit tonight, you are sadly mistaken.” I went down the hallway toward the bedroom. “If you’re not going to leave, then I am. I’m getting dressed.”
“No, don’t do that,” Marcella stated in a panic. “It’s late and you need to stay here. I’ll leave, if you really want me to.”
I couldn’t help but be amused. I glimpsed at her and she was standing in the doorway looking pathetic. “Aw, I get it. You know that if I go out, I’m going to fuck someone and you’re trying to spare Jon that embarrassment.”
She lowered her eyes to the floor but refused to respond.
“Well, you’re right,” I continued. “If I leave here, especially at this time of morning, I’m going to go out and fuck the first thing moving.” I decided to rub it in. “In fact, I might do it anyway, even if you do get the hell out right now. That trips you out, right? Knowing or rather not knowing what I might do next?”
